Demonic and Deserted (Eternally Yours Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Then seal off the garden from the rest of the pyramid. Seemed simple enough, though it was anything but.  O’Connor wordlessly moved to the right, slipping through the vegetation with the experience of a seasoned soldier. Though he’d never served in a war, as I had, he’d learned enough survival skills after having lived over a hundred years in Hell.
    My heart hammered a wild staccato in my ears as I veered left, careful not to trip over rotting stumps and clumps of wilted vegetation while keeping an eye out for any signs of an arachnid attack. No sooner had I reached my designated target than I heard Cam’s whistle. I aimed at the top of the trees and unleashed my fire.
    They crawled out of the vegetation faster than I expected, their high-pitched squeals of pain causing icy currents of dread to race up my spine. I slowly backed up, burning the creatures while they raced toward me. I jerked back, nearly stumbling over my feet as they pelted my helmet like balls of hail. Even through the thick protective layers of my suit, I felt them racing down my sides, no doubt looking for a way to break through. I fought the urge to drop my gun and run, swatting them off my face shield before they crawled down my chest. 
    As I continued the spray of flame, I caught sight of Cam coming toward me. His suit was covered in the creatures as well, and my heart thudded when I saw they were trying to tie his legs with webbing. I hit Cam with a blast of flame, and the spiders squealed and fell to the ground. I held my breath when Cam turned his gun on me. My body heated up like a furnace, causing my limbs to itch and burn, but I was relieved when the creatures fell off me. The tension in my neck and back eased without them weighing me down. 
    Cam turned away, hitting Callum with a blast, and then we were all backing up, alternating between scorching spiders, vegetation, and each other.
    By the time we neared the atrium’s exit, the place was awash in smoke and fire, and our flamethrowers were nearly out of gas. My faceplate was blackened with soot, decreasing my visibility as eight-legged black shadows continued to rain down on us. Once we reached the door, we sprayed each other once more, then threw our empty weapons to the ground before making a hasty exit. Cam closed and bolted the heavy metal door while O’Connor and I pushed concrete blocks in front of it.
    After we finished checking each other for strays, I finally unlatched my helmet and breathed in a deep gulp of air, though the simple act of breathing strained my lungs. We quickly descended the stairs, wasting no time in reaching the bottom of the pyramid, where the others waited for us.
    I wished the priestesses had been admitted into Purgatory. That would have put my mind at ease. There was one priestess in particular whose soul I feared for. Melanie had always been kind to me and her sisters. She was a beauty, with wild crimson hair that hung down her back in waves. She was shy, too, unwilling to utter more than a few words, though I’d often times tried to engage her in conversation. I would have thought she wasn’t interested in me, except there were times I’d catch her staring in my direction, only to quickly look away.
    The priestesses were a pious group, except for O’Connor’s girlfriend, Cara, who spent her days with him. But the rest spent most of their time working or praying. Whatever sin Melanie had committed before she died, I knew it had to have been bad. Why else had she been cast into the fiery pit? Her damnation alone should have been enough of a reason for me to avoid her. Yet, idiot that I was, I couldn’t help but have feelings for the girl. O’Connor had teased me that I was obsessed. Maybe he was right. But on the few occasions I was able to gaze into her big amber eyes, I sensed a haunting desperation that nearly made my chest implode. Whatever Melanie had done on earth, she was sorry for it, so sorry that despair consumed her. What I wouldn’t